Scaring The Coyotes

Hey kids!

So, there were several things that I thought were especially funny this week.

First up: Zoila and the painting. OMFG. Too, too funny. But, OH so awkward!!!

The idea behind having Z painted was a really nice one and actually very sweet on Jeff's part -- a true testament to how much he cares for her. But, presenting the painting to Zoila while having the actual artist present was truly one of THE MOST hysterically awkward things I've ever witnessed. None of us had seen the finished painting before Chris took off the wrapping so when it was finally revealed it was one of those, "OMG. It's so unflattering, but I can't SAY THAT because 1) the recipient is standing to one side of me and 2) the artist is standing to the other side of me! Leave it to Straight Shooter Zoila to bust out with, "I look so ugly! It's so ugly!"

Truth be told, it wasn't the most flattering interpretation. But, we all (save Zoila, God bless her) tried our best to point out the positives while the artist was standing there. After she left, though, we were in stitches over the situation. When Jeff suggested that we put it outside to scare off the coyotes, I absolutely lost it. I don't think I've ever laughed so hard over anything that has happened while working with Jeff as I did that day. Jenni, always able to smooth over any situation, came out with the view that it was an abstract interpretation. Zoila wasn't havin' it, though! I mean, for real, who would want a picture of him or herself when they didn't want to look at it?!!! In the end, though, the revamped and revised picture was actually pretty darn cool in my opinion. Despite all the stress that can come from working with Jeff, there are moments of unbridled laughter like that day that make it all worthwhile.

I also LOVED the whole pepperoni vs. meatball debate in the car with Jenni and Jeff. Quintessential Jeff Lewis. Jeff has this way of turning every little thing inside out and it can be maddening at times because you're like, "Do you REALLY care about this or are you just talking to hear yourself talk???" I think it's probably a little bit of both! What I loved in this exchange, though, was Jenni just shutting him down by saying, "This is ridiculous. At the end of my life I spent 55 seconds talking about pizza!" And then she goes off into her little Italian man voice which then makes Jeff crack up. That's why the two of them are so brilliant together. Jeff can be spinning off on the most inane subject and Jenni can just shut him up by making him laugh. High-freaking-sterical. One of the other scenes that I found particularly funny was "The drapes, the drapes, the drapes!" In my opinion, Jeff was 100% right/justified in that situation. The drapes were definitely on the beige side with this brown border. While I thought they were passable in the bedroom (they were against a warm wall -- although they kinda clashed with the white bedspread), the same drapes were hung downstairs in the dining room and the living room. There, they were up against and near walls that were grey. In my opinion, they just didn't jive well with the cool tones of the downstairs. Although I never said anything, I got why he wasn't that into them. It may seem crazy to the viewer, but it's that kind of attention to detail that makes Jeff as successful as he is. He has an overall vision and it's part of his job to make sure the execution of that vision is in line with the rest of the home.

Well, that about wraps my thoughts on this week! Thanks for reading and I'll check in with you next week!

Xoxo, Chris K.